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Thesis Statements, Introductions, and Conclusions

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Title: Thesis Statements, Introductions, and Conclusions


1
Thesis Statements, Introductions, and Conclusions
  • Techniques for Variety

BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOUR UNIVERISTY LEARNING
CENTER ACI 160 / PC 247
Developed by Jeniffer
Viscarra
2
Thesis Statement
  • Just as a paragraph has a topic sentence that
    expresses its central point, an essay also has a
    main idea called a thesis. This is the most
    important sentence of your essay!

But Mary, how can I know the main idea of
something I havent written yet?
3
More on the Thesis
  • Like a topic sentence, a thesis can be stated or
    implied.
  • In most student essays the thesis is stated.
  • In most essays, the thesis presents the authors
    opinion sets forth an argument.

You have to plan what you are going to write.
Your thesis is the basic plan, Howard.
4
Characteristics of a Thesis Statement
  • Presents the focus or central idea of the essay
  • Uses specific language
  • States a generalization demanding proof. It is
    not a statement of fact.
  • Gives major subdivisions of the topic (list) or
    remains more general (umbrella).

5
Thesis Placement
  • Your thesis statement can appear anywhere in a
    paper.
  • Sometimes it is the opening sentence.
  • However, most students are asked to put it at the
    bottom of the introductory paragraph.

6
Final Comments on the Thesis
  • A thesis statement is the central message of an
    essay.
  • It should reflect the content of the essay and
    guide your writing.
  • As you are writing, if you discover that the
    content of your essay and the thesis do not
    match
  • Revise one or the other
  • or both!

7
Introductory Paragraphs
  • Introductions hook the readers interest, provide
    a bridge to the thesis, and present the thesis to
    the reader, which should frame your argument.
  • Hooks you may want to consider are citing a
    quotation, raising a question, providing relevant
    statistics, challenging a common perception.

8
Citing a Quotation
  • If you use a quotation to begin your essay, be
    sure to include the source.
  • You must also show your reader the connection
    between the quote and and the subject of your
    paper.
  • Otherwise, it will seem tacked on.

9
Quotation Example
  • World War I aviator, Eddie Rickenbacker, once
    motivated
  • young pilots by saying that Courage is doing
    what youre
  • afraid to do. There can be no courage unless
    youre scared
  • (qtd. in Smith 12). If fear is necessary for
    courage, then many
  • students starting their college careers are
    certainly courageous.
  • Two types of college students are the recent
    high school
  • graduate and the returning student who seeks a
    new
  • profession.
  • __________________________________________________
    __
  • QUOTATION BRIDGE
    THESIS

10
Techniques for Conclusions
  • Redeliver your thesis without using exactly the
    same words (you may want to use the list and
    umbrella techniques)
  • Return to the approach you used in your intro
    citing a quotation, raising a question, providing
    statistics, giving background information,
    challenging a common perception.

11
Conclusion for Intros with Quotes
  • Refer to the opening quotation
  • Both the recent high school graduate and the
  • returning student play important roles in the
  • college classroom. With motivation and
  • perseverance, they, like Eddie Rickenbacker,
  • can overcome their fears and achieve their
  • dreams.

12
Raising a Question
  • Make sure that the question is clearly tied to
    your topic.
  • Remember to provide a bridge to the thesis or it
    will seem tacked on.
  • Second person pronoun you is generally accepted
    (although in the rest of a formal essay it should
    be avoided).

13
Example of a Question
  • Do you remember what it was like the first day
    of your
  • first college class? Were you surprised to find
    so many
  • students of varying age and background? Many of
  • todays college classrooms feature an
    intergenerational
  • student population. Two types of college
    students are
  • the eighteen-year-old who just graduated from
    high
  • school and the returning student who seeks a new
  • career.
  • QUESTION BRIDGE
    THESIS

14
Conclusion Answer the Question or Predict an
Outcome
  • Both the recent high school graduate and the
    returning student have important contributions to
    make in any college class. Eventually, however,
    age diversity will not be as surprising because
    returning students will outnumber
    eighteen-year-olds in many classrooms. As the
    economy becomes more diverse and increasingly
    international, more workers will return to the
    classroom for retraining, and the average age of
    a college student will continue to climb.

15
Providing Relevant Statistics
  • A statistic, particularly one that may be
    surprising, is often an effective way to open an
    essay.
  • When you use a statistic, you should provide its
    source just as you do with a quotation.
  • Make sure you do not use misleading statistics.

16
Example of Use of Statistics
  • According to this years college admissions
    booklet,
  • the average student age at FIU is 28.3 years,
    which means that many students in FIUs
    classrooms are over the age of 30. Most of these
    mature students have discovered that they need to
    upgrade their job skills if they are to compete
    in an increasingly technological society.
    Consequently, they find themselves in classes
    with younger students. Two types of college
    students are the recent high school graduate and
    the returning student who seeks a new career.
  • STATISTIC
    BRIDGE
    THESIS

17
Conclusion Referring to Statistics
  • As the demands on the workforce continue to
  • take a technological turn, universities will
    see a climb in the average age of their students.
    Because so many individuals in their late 20s
    seek to enhance their professional lives through
    education, the average FIU student can look
    forward to sharing his/her university experience
    with peers who already know what its like in the
    real world.
  • Reference to Statistic

18
Challenging a Common Perception
  • This type of intro entices the reader to learn
    something new by challenging the readers
    preconceived ideas.
  • Think about what beliefs your readers might hold
    and what ideas you might use to counter these
    beliefs.

19
Example of Challenging Perceptions
  • When thinking of a freshmen classroom, many
    people envision rows of eighteen-year-olds eager
    to begin their college experience. However, the
    average age of a freshman at most colleges and
    universities is well above eighteen. Many men
    and women are coming back to the classroom after
    an absence of many years. Some want to learn a
    new skill while others pursue a particular
    academic interest alongside the younger students.
    Two types of college students are the recent
    high school graduate and the returning student
    who seeks a new career.

20
Conclusion Challenging Perception
  • Clearly, the recent high school graduate is
    not the only type of student in the university
    classrooms today. As the workforce demands more
    technological skills, the traditional
    eighteen-year-old students will find themselves
    studying side by side with those who have
    returned to build up their career credentials.
  • _________________________________________
  • New Perception Thesis

21
Review
  • Your thesis statement is essential (list or
    umbrella)
  • Not all of the techniques work for every topic
  • Often, writers combine techniques
  • Intros have a hook, bridge, and thesis statement
  • Accept that your intro paragraph is subject to
    change as your essay develops
  • Make sure your conclusion addresses the hook
    (quote, question, stats, perception) you used in
    your intro.

22
Sources Consulted
  • Campbell Martha. Focus Writing Paragraphs
  • and Essays. New Jersey Prentice Hall,
  • 1999.
  • Hacker, Diane. A Writers Reference.
  • Boston Bedford, 2003.
  • Troyka, Lynn. Quick Access. New Jersey
  • Prentice Hall, 2000.

23
Thank You for Joining Us!
  • You can also visit us at the learning center
    (PC 247 / AC I 160) or call to make an
    appointment with a tutor.
  • UP (305) 348-2180
  • BB (305) 919-5927
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